Shoe-lace fastener.



M. W. TREADGOLD.

SHOE LACE FASTENER- APPLICATION FILED NOV-2.1917.

Patented Sept. 17, 1918,

WITNESSES ATTORN EY m: NOIHHS rErcRs (50.. PHDYOJ 111m wAsHmcruw. nv c.

PATENT OFFICE.

MAINTON w. TREADGOLD, OF BANDON, OREGON;

SHOE-LACE 'rAs'rEnER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MANTON W. TREAD- GOLD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bandon, in the county of Coos and State of Oregon, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Lace Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cord and rope holding olasps, and more especially those having a pivoted part and a cam lever; and the object of the same is to produce an improved clasp for fastening shoe laces and the like.

Heretofore a clasp of this kind has comprised a base and a substantially L-shaped part pivoted at its angle thereto, one arm being a handle by which the part was moved on its pivot and the other arm projecting toward the base and clamping the cord against it. My invention involves this principle in so far as it includes a base and a pivot part, but the working or biting arm of the pivoted part does not project from the point where it is pivoted. On the contrary it projects from what might be called the other end of the handle so that there is considerable resiliency between the pivot and thetip of the biting part.

Details will be found in the following specification, and reference is made to the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of this device applied to a piece of leather, showing a shoe string or lace as clasped therein.

ig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view, showing the string as clasped in full lines and the parts turned in dotted lines to release the string.

In the drawings I have shown in Fig; 1

a piece-of material such as leather L to which this clasp is attached, and a lace or shoestring S to be held therein, but I do not wish to be limited to this use of the device. The clasp comprises a base lsecured to the material by rivets or other clasping means, ears 2 upstanding from the sides of the base, and a pivot pin 3 connecting their upper ends. ()n this pivot pin is mounted an eye 7 4 at the extremity of one arm of the substan tially U-shaped pivoted part. From the eye this arm extends outward as at 5 and then bends as at 6 and returns inward as at 7,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1918.

Application filed November 7, 1917. Serial N 0. 200,779.

In the use of this device the cord or string is passed over the base between the upstanding ears and under the pivot pin, the pivoted part being turned back as seen in dotted lines in Fig. 2. When the cord or string has been adjusted to the desired point, the pivoted part is turned down into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2. At this time its tip bites on the string and presses the latter against the base plate, and the resilience of the 'U-shaped member is exerted to hold the tip in biting engagement. Obviously said tip stands between the pivot pin and the base plate, so that strain on the string S only. draws it tighter. When it is desired to release the clasp, the finger or thumb nail is inserted under the bend and the pivoted part raised to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and the tip at this time comes out of contact with the string so that the latter is free.

other feature of my invention is the protection afforded to the pivoted part by the peculiar shape of the ears 2. It will be observed that while these are or may be beveled offat their rear sides or edges, their front edges or ends are carried alongside the pivoted part into corners which are preferably practically right angular as shown at 9, their upper edges standing well above the position of the pivoted part when it is clasping the string as shown at 10, and their front ends 11 being at least coincident with the bend 6. The result is that these ears by their shape prevent the catching of extraneous objects on the pivoted part and either throwing the latter upward to a posi tion where the spring is released as shown in Fig. 2,. or tearing the said object; and yet when the clasp is to be opened the tip of the finger can be inserted over the strin and under the bend 6, and the latter raised very easily.

What is claimed as new is A cord clamp comprising a base plate, upstanding parallel spaced ears thereon, a pivot pin connecting the rear portions of said ears, and a substantially U-shaped ioo clampingv member of a length to be housed between said ears with its bight oo-inoident with their front ends, the upper arm of sai member being bent outwardly at its end 5 into an eye revolubly surrounding said pivot pin and the lower arm 0 Copies 01 .this patent may be obtained f said member having a deflected tip yieldingly projecting toward the base plate to clamp a cord upon said base plate, the bight of said clamping member serving as a handle.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

MANTON WV. TREADGOLD.

for 'five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner qt intents,

Washington, D. 0. i 

